Fresno's Professional Print & Mail takes over Visalia printer

From left, Mike, Roberta and Doug Carlile of Professional Print & Mail in Fresno.The Central Valley's printing industry continues to see consolidation with the announcement that Professional Print & Mail, Inc. in Fresno will take over the production operations of Visalia's Premier Color Graphics.

It's the third time in two years the company's operations have changed hands.

Premier Color Graphics will merge its printing, mailing and fulfillment operations into Professional Print & Mail's 27-year-old facility near downtown Fresno. Premier Color Graphics' clients are currently being informed of the change, according to a news release.

Local sales offices will remain in Tulare and Visalia as part of the deal.

There's no word on layoffs associated with the merger. A call to Douglas E. Carlile, president of Professional Print & Mail, was not immediately returned.

"A number of Premier Color Graphics employees have been added to [Professional Print & Mail's] production, sales and administrative staff," according to the release.

The high-overhead printing industry — characterized by expensive equipment and upkeep — has faced challenges in an increasingly digital marketplace. The industry in the Central Valley has been marked with consolidation and closures.

This isn't a new scenario for Premier Color Graphics, which was acquired by Fresno's Pacific Printing in November 2010.

In April 2012, Certified Ad Services, a half-century-old Fresno printing and graphic design business, folded after losing an account with Save Mart Supermarkets to print its weekly ad circulars. The closure left 86 jobless.

In December 2011, Fresno's Dumont Printing purchased the large press division of Pacific Printing. Pacific Printing had previously consolidated its print and mailing functions with Dumont.